Blood and Tears
by Ginnie
Summary: (ch3: Akira and Kaede are chased by Rukawa-san all the way across Kanagawa.) Ch4. the continuation.
1. UNACCEPTANCE

**title**: [pending]   
**genre**: angst/romance   
**rating**: R, bordering on NC-17   
**summary**: Traumatic experiences can drive a man to the edge of insanity. So can love, such as that of Rukawa Kaede and Sendoh Akira - especially when it is under heavy strain from Rukawa's *overly* homophobic father. Are they strong enough to fight for their love?   
**notes**: I kept complaining to Isys how I was scaring myself and totally freaking out when I wrote this fic. It is totally not like me to write something like this - I have never written anything that can even come close to within a mile of this fic. Sooo... forgive me if it's not all that good. It's sort of a "first time" fic... 

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. 

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**CHAPTER ONE:** UNACCEPTANCE 

CRASH!!! 

The porcelain vase whizzed by, missing my cheek by mere inches, and shattered as it smashed against the wall behind me. Still, I did my best not to flinch. 

Apparently, that was not the reaction my father wanted. 

This time, a medal flew directly at my forehead. I raised my arm to partially protect me. 

A large, red spot (which would later on be a black-and-blue bruise) immediately blossomed, an alarming contrast to my pale skin. 

Kinda reminds me of the little gangwar that broke out in the gym 2 years ago. 

I lowered my arm, determined to put up a brave front until the own fear of the enraged man infront of me would subside, or at least until his anger would calm a little -- his fear abating was a little too much to ask, I knew. If truth be told, I was shaking inside. 

Never, ever before in my life have I been so scared. 

I was painfully aware of Akira sitting quietly in my room. I imagined him wincing with every resounding crash that abounded. He was waiting for me, I knew, to trudge back up and collapse in fear and exhaustion. If I did, he'd catch me, stroke my hair, and hold me close while whispering that everything would be alright. 

Bull. Nothing would ever be alright as long as my father was like this. 

This lapse in concentration cost me dearly. A particularly heavy plate soared at me and hit my temple. 

That was the last thing I knew before I blacked out. 

~~~~~~~ 

Suddenly, it was quiet. I could no longer hear anything coming from downstairs. 

Cautiously, I crept out of Kaede's room and peered down between the railings of the banister. 

What I saw shocked me. 

Kaede lay motionless on the floor, his eyes closed. A small trickle of blood ran down from his temple into his hair. 

Without thinking, I raced down the stairs. 

I dropped down beside Kaede and raised his body off the floor, cradling him against my chest. I ran my fingers through soft ebony tresses and rocked to and fro, willing him to wake up. 

"Get out." 

Defiantly, I glared up into hard, blue eyes and stayed where I was. 

"Get out. Or else, I won't hesitate to harm you." 

There was a resolute stubbornness in his voice that was very much like Kaede's. 

But I most certainly was not about to heed the command of this man who wanted to take my Kaede away from me. 

"No," I whispered. "I won't." 

The next thing I knew, leather had struck my shoulder so fiercely. I bit my lip, forcing a cry of pain back down my throat. 

I bent low over Kaede so that he wouldn't be hurt any more by this belt-wielding madman. 

Bad move. The belt lashed at my back. I could've sworn my back was bleeding. Then I opened my eyes, hoping to see Kaede looking at me with that uncharacteristic fear in his eyes... only to be greeted by his deathly pale face, whiter than usual because of the steady loss of blood. So, maybe bending over wasn't such a bad idea after all. 

Another hit. This time, contact was somewhere at my lower vack. I couldn't stiffle a cry. 

A harsh cackle followed. "I warned you, boy. Now, get out of my house." 

I made to stand, bracing my arms to carry Kaede. 

But before I could get up entirely, the man whipped his belt at any part of Kaede that was unprotected. 

A strangled cry pushed past my lips and out into the open. Still, the father paid no heed and started to relentlessly hit my beloved. He was so engrossed in this brutality that he didn't notice as I lunged toward him, outrage driving my sanity over the edge to the point that I no longer had control of my body or its actions. 

I punched every part of him that my fist could make contact with, not caring what I would look like after this violent brawl, or what Kaede would think should he wake up and see this. 

Kaede... 

I stood up suddenly, leavin his father writhing in pain on the floor with blood pouring freely from his nose and mouth. 

I pressed my cheek to Kaede's, and I realized I was crying. 

  
  
_~tsuzuku~_

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How'd you like it, minna? Please review, tell me if I should continue or not!! And tell me if you think I should add a prologue... I've been contemplating about that... 


	2. SUPPORT

**title**: BLOOD, TEARS, AND DROWNING FEARS   
**rating**: R, bordering on NC-17   
**genre**: romance/somewhat angsty. i think it can be considered taff   
**part**: 2 / ? 

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. 

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chapter 2: **SUPPORT**

Thank heavens for gym workouts. 

Even if he was dead weight, I was able to carry Kaede to my car. I drove to a nearby clinic, and was surprised to learn that apparently, the doctor and nurses there knew him quite well. 

"Kami-sama... Rukawa Kaede! What is it this time?" 

_'This time'?_ Apparently, everyone knows about this except me. Kaede and I are going to have a little talk later... 

"Lately, he's been brought here quite often -- by neighbors, or teammates..." 

As he lay on the small, pristine white medical bed, I absently ran my thumb along the knuckles of his right hand as one of the nurses attended to the wound on his head and another treated the slashes that the belt had made on his arms and then-exposed abdomen. 

One of them -- Rina, she said her name was -- sighed. "Honestly, I don't know why he doesn't just go and run already. Why does he put up with that abusive father of his? That man is a wild animal." 

Koushu, the other nurse, looked up from administering first aid on Kaede's injuries. "You know as perfectly well as everyone else that Rukawa Gyakutai is a very ingenious person. Running away wouldn't do Kaede a bit of good -- his father would immediately find him in next to no time." 

Rina turned to face me. "Sendoh-san." I jumped, startled at having been directly addressed for the first time since Kaede and I entered the clinic. "As Kaede's best friend --" and at this point, Koushu grinned mischievously and pretended to cough. "-- or possibly something more than that, as Koushu so discreetly addressed the issue --" said woman grinned again. "-- would you know why he's treated like this by his father?" 

I turned away from them. "Rukawa-san is overly homophobic." ["See!" Koushu exclaimed triumphantly. "Shush!" Rina muttered.] "He stumbled upon me and Kaede when we were just goofing around in the park -- and it pissed him off greatly because Kaede had said he was going to the gym to practice. The rest is easily guessed." 

Both of them nodded sympathetically. "Poor boy... to be forced to stop loving just when he'd found it," Koushu said. 

I could only stay silent. 

~~~~~~~ 

I woke up to be greeted by bright flourescent lights that have now become so familiar to me. 

"Oww..." I moaned. Damn, but my head was killing me. 

Immediately, blue eyes brimming with suppressed anxiety invaded my line of vision, worry swimming in the pools of sapphire blue. 

His hand slid across my forehead and down my face, a sad but relived smile flitting across his handsome features. 

"Kaede... thank goodness you're all right." 

_No. No, I'm not._

"He's awake?" The doctor. 

_Akira, help me. I can't take this anymore._

My fear must have shown because his smile disappeared in an instant, and he gripped my hand so hard it hurt. 

I reached out and cupped the back of his neck with my free hand. He took it and kissed my palm while tenderly stroking my other hand. 

"Akira... take me home." 

Needless to say, he was stunned. "Back there?" he asked in disbelief. 

"No." I shook my head and regretted it immediately, wincing as spasms of pain shot through. "Take me home with you." 

He nodded once. "Alright. C'mere, you." 

Akira helped me get up and walked me to his car, a dark blue Lancer that he had won in a raffle draw. I smiled to myself, remembering that I had pushed him into joining just for the fun of it. 

"There he is! Rukawa-kun!" 

Both Akira and I looked up, and found my teammates waving to us from the other side of the street, their faces lined with worry. 

They crossed the road at a run and surrounded us. I carelessly waved my hand, letting them know that I was okay -- at least for now. 

Mitsui chuckled while shaking his head disbelievingly. "Rukawa, you have _got_ to learn to stand up to him." 

Adjusting his glasses, Kogure-sempai sighed. "You can't let him keep beating you up like this. Why don't you call authorities and report this?" 

"... I'm scared," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. 

I tugged at Akira's arm in an attempt to tell him that I wanted to go already. Lucky for me, he took the hint. 

"Aah... excuse me, guys. I'll be taking him home now..." 

Baffled expressions assaulted their faces. "Back to that -- that hell hole?" Ayako asked incredulously. 

"No. All the way across Kanagawa. I'm staying there at his house for a while." 

Akira helped me into the front passenger seat. "See you around, people," he said. He went around the front, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the one-and-a-half hour drive to his home. 

  
  
_~tsuzuku~_

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Aaah... Thank you very much to the author of the HP fic with the same name for unknowingly lending me the title... 


	3. FEAR

**title**: BLOOD, TEARS, AND DROWNING FEARS   
**rating**: R, bordering on NC-17   
**genre**: romance/somewhat angsty. i think it can be considered taff.   
**part**: 3 / ? 

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. 

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chapter 3: **FEAR**

From time to time, I would glance at the fragile being sitting beside me and staring out the window. He looked so beautiful and innocent that the obnoxious gauze pad hiding his wound did little to mar his physical perfection. 

"Oi, Akira." "Hn?" "Green light." 

I hadn't realized I was so into studying him that I had ignored the traffic light. Blushing slightly, I shifted the car into gear and continued to drive. 

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As soon as we got back to my house, Kaede claimed possession of the couch while I went to get something for us to munch on while watching television. 

Yeah, right. 

The glowing box and the chips laid out on the table were easily ignored... Damn Kaede for being so gorgeous. 

I couldn't resist cuddling a little closer to him and giddily kissing his cheek. Sighing in mock exasperation, he pushed me away a little and tilted his head toward the TV in a sort-of pointing gesture, exposing his oh-so-kissable neck a little further in the process. "Oi, baka. Stay put and watch." 

"But I am!! Only, it's not the TV I'm watching." 

"My point exactly." 

"Kae-chan..." 

"Ch. Hentai. You're horny, and now you're trying to seduce me." 

Kaede knows me too well. 

Ignoring his words, I gently took hold of his chin and tilted his face up to meet mine. I smiled and gave him a tender kiss, which he eagerly returned. "Mmm... you know, I should stop spending time with you. You're always ruining my surprises," I mumbled. 

Kaede pulled away and merely raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Surprises like what?" 

Trying to keep a straight, somewhat sultry face -- and failing miserably -- I tugged at the hem of his button-down polo. "Like this," I said mischievously, before running my hands up his chest and starting to undo the buttons of his shirt. 

As I kissed his bit-by-bit exposed flesh, he rolled his head back and purred at my ministrations. "A surprise? Hardly..." He looked at me and, with the slightest of smiles, muttered, "You horny pervert." 

That pout on his face was too much for me to handle. Abandoning his chest, I pressed my lips against his instead. My aggressiveness was rewarded by a pleasurable moan and hands pulling me into a tighter embrace. 

His responce to my advances only fueled my wanton desire further. 

Grinning devilishly, I left his sweet lips to trail feathery kisses all over his face, before traveling down to his neck. Like I had hinted previously, I have this... _obsession_ with his neck. I kiss it open-mouthedly, wanting it to mark. 

That little move elicited a low growl from deep in his throat, and his hands moved to tussle my hair, ruining my spikes in the process. 

It was getting hard for me to control my body. I knew that Kaede needed to rest, not involve himself in more physical exertion after that incident "back there". But I could tell that he wanted it as much as I did. Damn my insatiable appetite. 

I kissed the area between his neck and shoulder, a ticklish part that he loved having caressed. As expected, he squirmed a bit, his body tingling ever so slightly from the sensation. 

Getting annoyed at his polo, I took away the garment and tossed it carelessly over my shoulder, choosing to ignore the "thud!" that followed which indicated that I had knocked something over. 

He tugged at my sleeve, and I looked at him. He pulled me up and kissed me passionately before I could react. 

His tongue gently probed at my lips, seeking entrance. Although delighted I was with how fast he was learning *this*, I decided that he still had a few lessons to take... Not wanting to let him take over, I flicked my own tongue out to catch the would-be intruder. 

Lost in the midst of this erotic play, I heard someone whispering Kaede's name before my mind registered that it was me. I was vaguely aware of his limber hands running down my back and pulling up the hem of my shirt. Wanting to please, I obliged. 

We broke apart momentarily so Kaede could pull my shirt off. The feel of our bare skins pressed together caused all-too-familiar sensations coursing through me. By then, I was struggling to keep my body and reactions in check. 

Of course, there are *certain* parts of me that I have no control over... 

Grinning devilishly yet again, I took one of Kaede's hands and lead it to rest on the waistband of my jeans, telling him that I was getting too damned aroused and that I would jump him soon whether he wanted it or not. 

Mischievous blue eyes looked into mine, and his other hand wandered down to help its partner with the restricting apparel. 

And that was when the idiot outside chose to pound on the door. 

Yet again, I chose to ignore it and instead focused all my attention on Kaede's delectable body. 

"Oi, Akira. Don't you think you should get that?" Kaede rasped in between heavy breaths. 

"Don't mind it," I replied nonchalantly, kissing his chest and teasing him. 

"Sendoh Akira! Open this fucking door!" an angry voice demanded outside. 

Sighing in disappointment, I pulled away from my lover. "Doors don't fuck, asshole!!" I retorted hotly, wondering why the voice sounded so familiar. 

I looked back to kiss Kaede again... when I noticed the horrified expression on his face. 

"Kaede?" He looked close to nervous breakdown. 

"Akira... It's my father." 

  
  
_~tsuzuku~_

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	4. ELUSION

**title**: BLOOD, TEARS, AND DROWNING FEARS   
**rating**: R, bordering on NC-17   
**genre**: romance/somewhat angsty. i think it can be considered taff.   
**part**: 4 / ?   
**notes**: er... sorry. ch4 kinda sucks... oh yeah. And if the little scene in the previous chapter had you wanting to strangle me for the interruption, then this might frustrate you a little more... hehe. 

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. 

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chapter 4: **ELUSION **

"Sendoh! I know my son is in there! Kaede, are you hearing me?! I know you're there! Come out here!" 

I was paralyzed, unable to move, Fear gripped my heart like a vise, and my chest contracted painfully. 

Shaking, I reached out to grab Akira's hand -- he had stood up and looked ready to contest my father. 

"Please, Akira... don't open the door," I begged in a trembling voice. 

"Who said anything about opening the door?" he whispered. "Come on, get up. We're going out the back way." 

"Where?" 

"The neighbor's. Tashika-san's house has a back entrance as well. He'll let us hide there for a while." 

We hurried to pick our discarded clothes off the floor and ran hastily to the kitchen. Thank the gods that none of the floorboards creaked. 

Akira and I silently made our way out of the house and climbed over the fence, which was thankfully quite low and out of sight from the front of the house. 

He knocked on the door, and about two minutes later someone opened it. 

"Tashika-san! We need to hide," he whispered urgently. 

"Akira! Sure, come on in," Tashika answered, ushering us into his dining room. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come here to hide." 

He turned to face me. "Kaede-kun, long time no see." He reached out his hand, and I shook it briefly. 

Tashika disappeared for a while, and later I heard him call, "Shinsei! Come down here just a sec." 

Moments later, a girl came rushing down the stairs. Her eyes widened when she saw me. "Akira! Kaede-kun!" 

She hugged me so tightly I found it hard to breathe. "Aah... Shinsei -- let me go..." 

Akira stared. "... I take it you guys know each other?" 

Shinsei nodded ecstatically. "Kaede's our cousin." 

Tashika joined us with an armload of pillows and blankets. "Come on, let's set up the guest room," he said as Shinsei took some of the linen. 

We followed them down into the basement (which looked more like a bedroom than the typical basement). 

They unfolded the fairly large sofa bed and set the beddings. As soon as they were done, I plopped down onto it. Tashika went back upstairs, saying that he was going to get us something to eat. 

Shinsei sat down beside me. "Hey, Kaede. What brings you to this part of Kanagawa?" 

Akira clambered onto the bed and crawled behind me. "His father," he told her. He placed his hands on my shoulders and expertly massaged whatever tensed muscles he could feel there. 

My cousin easily understood, being the insightful person that she is. "Homophobic idiot. He still can't get over the divorce, huh?" She ran her hand along the length of my arm over the gashes, and noted the gauze pad on my temple. "And he's taking it out on you just because you're with Akira." 

She stood up just as Tashika came down with bags and bags of junk food. "I'll take one of those, dear brother, thanks very much." Ripping open a bag of tortilla chips, she turned back to face us. "Well, I guess I'll leave you two down here. You might want to talk or something." Grabbing her brother by the arm (who was in the process of putting soda and glasses on the end tables), she smiled jubilantly at me and made to go up already. 

"Tashika-san?" Akira called. 

Tashika turned. "Yup?" 

"Do something about Rukawa-san, could you?" 

~~~~~~~ 

"Oi, Kaede." 

He sighed desolately. "What?" 

Okay, so maybe now's not a good time to ask him about how long his father's been beating him up. I dropped my hands to his waist and hugged him. "Nothing," I murmured into his hair. With a kiss on his cheek, I whispered, "I love you." 

Kaede leaned into my embrace and placed his hand on my arms. He twisted his neck to face me and returned my kiss. "I know." 

"Not exactly the response I wanted to hear," I joked, pouting at him. 

He smirked. Blue eyes glinted, and he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What answer were you hoping for, then?" 

I tussled his hair. "You nut." Affectionately, I nuzzled his neck before moving to plant a kiss on his nape. 

He reached up and -- gently pulling me towards him -- tilted his head up towards me and kissed me. 

I smiled, and I could feel his lips curving against my own. "Mmm... that's more like it." 

"I could give an even better answer." 

The hinted-at promise and the seductive tone in Kaede's voice sent pleasurable shivers down my spine. "You can, huh?" 

"Definitely." Having said this, he turned to face me, and pushed me down. He held both of my hands above my head with one hand as he kissed me chastely on the forehead, while his other hand was crawling under my shirt. 

As he passed his hand on my skin, the shirt was pushed up. This having been done, Kaede lightly ran his fingertips up and down my torso, teasing me to heightened levels of arousal. I shivered in response. 

His mouth left mine. He rubbed against my cheek, and brought his mouth close to my ear. "Just in case you don't remember..." he whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear. "We have some unfinished business to attend to," he said in a voice so sexy and alluring that a growl escaped my throat. 

Freeing myself, I swapped our positions. Now he was the one lying on his back with his arms above his head, and I was the one poised above him. 

"Oooh... down, boy," he panted. 

"How can I when you look so damn delicious just lying there?" I replied. Hell, it was getting too hot. 

"Hope you can say the same about dinner!" 

Both of us jumped in surprise at the sudden intrusion. I rolled away and saw Shinsei's smiling face peering at us from the top of the stairs. Thank heavens I had the decency to blush. 

She tossed her head, motioning for us to go upstairs already. "Come on, you two lovebirds. I made my famous crab-and-shrimp tempura. Plus, there's a stuffed bread surprise waiting for everyone on the table." 

I stood up and pulled Kaede to his feet. 

Taking one last look at me before vanishing, Shinsei grinned evilly before flipping one of her long brown braids over her shoulder. "Ne, Akira, it's lucky you're wearing jeans, huh?" 

I glanced down at *me* and blushed again. "Yeah... really lucky." 

  
  
_~tsuzuku~_

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End file.
